Women and Girls in Sports Day
It’s National Women and Girls in Sport Day, an awareness day that started in the USA but is gaining traction globally as a time to celebrate and reflect on women and girls in sport.
We thought it was a good day to remember the benefits of being active. How sport and exercise can help us grow, connect and thrive.
Whether you’re playing, coaching the next generation, or cheering from the sidelines, your presence matters.
Sport builds lifelong confidence
When girls get involved in sport, they learn to believe in themselves. They discover the feeling of hard work, how to trust their own abilities, and how to handle winning and losing with grace. Studies consistently show that girls who play sport have higher levels of self-esteem and resilience — traits that carry into every area of life. Confidence built on the track, the court, or in the pool often becomes confidence at school, at work and beyond.
Feeling good in our bodies
Sport helps women and girls nurture a positive relationship with their bodies, one rooted in strength, movement, and capability. When physical activity is introduced as an act of empowerment instead of punishment, girls learn to see themselves differently. Training for a sprint, a swim, or a cycling event becomes about what the body can do, not how it looks. Over time, this mindset fuels long-term health, both physically and mentally.
If you can see it, you can be it
When girls see women leading in sport, whether that’s captaining a team, coaching at a national level, or running a local club, they learn what’s possible. Representation sparks belief and a feeling of not being the first - sometimes a daunting prospect. Every woman in sport today creates a ripple effect for the girls watching from the sidelines either in person or on TV.
A young girl who sees someone like her thriving in sport might decide to keep training instead of giving up, to speak up instead of shrinking back, or to apply for that coaching role she never thought was for her.
Leadership skills flourish
Sport offers one of the most natural environments for leadership development. Captains, coaches, referees, and those behind the scenes all learn how to motivate others, handle pressure, and make strategic decisions. For women and girls, these experiences can translate into leadership roles far beyond the field.
And leadership isn’t limited to job titles: it’s about showing up early, supporting teammates, or setting the standard through effort and consistency. When girls learn to lead in sport, they often learn to lead everywhere.
Community, belonging, friendship
Sport is one of the best social connectors there is. From grassroots clubs to major tournaments, it brings people together across age, culture, and background. For women and girls, that sense of belonging can be life-changing.
The friendships built through shared training sessions and team highs and lows often become safe spaces for support and understanding. Community through movement and shared purpose.
Female coaches are fantastic role models
When women are in coaching and mentorship roles, everyone benefits. Young girls see someone they can relate to, and boys see women as leaders — normalising equality in sport from an early age.
Women coaches often bring vital perspective, empathy, and inclusive communication to the mix. Their influence extends from the grassroots to the elite level, shaping team culture and supporting athlete wellbeing. Increasing female representation in coaching isn’t just good equity, it’s good sport.
Careers in sport
Not every girl who loves sport will become a professional athlete - in fact, hardly any. But that’s ok. Sport is about community, enjoyment and health. However, the sports world is vast and full of opportunities: physiotherapy, media, marketing, psychology, event management, analytics, and more.
By staying connected to sport, women can play vital roles in how games are delivered, covered, and celebrated. They become decision-makers, storytellers, and advocates helping to shape a fairer, more representative sporting world.
Mental health boost
Physical activity is proven to lift mood, lower stress, and boost overall mental wellbeing. But beyond the endorphins, sport offers another gift: purpose. Training goals, team routines, and companionship create structure and stability that support emotional health.
For girls and women navigating academic pressures, career transitions, or life’s big changes, sport can offer a sanctuary: a space to breathe, to reset, and to remember how strong they are.
Closing the sports gender gap
When women and girls get involved in sport, especially in leadership and decision-making, they help reshape entire systems. Their voices influence funding priorities, media coverage, facility access, and policy changes.
Every coach recruited, commentator heard, and board member appointed moves the needle toward gender equity in sport. The more women take their seat at the table, the stronger and more inclusive the entire sporting community becomes.
Getting women and girls involved in sport isn’t just a nice idea — it’s essential. It shapes confident individuals, stronger communities, and fairer opportunities for all. Whether you’re joining a weekend run group, volunteering at a youth club, or stepping into your first coaching course, your contribution matters.
Copyright We are Girls in Sport 2026
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